On TV Envy: Oprah Snags Sarah Palin Interview

Gladiators Fail to Slay Competition

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Prime Time, Reality, NBC, Editorial

American Gladiators Season 2

won big ratings and big press during the writer’s strike, prompting NBC to immediately sign the series for another season, cast new gladiators and create bigger, better events for a triumphant second season return. The season kicked off last night…but was it as victorious as NBC hoped?

Ratings-wise, American Gladiators is already going the way of other shows (to third or last place). FOX’s House led the night, while the Gladiators raked in only about 4.9 million watchers.

The season premiered with bigger obstacles, more competitors and a bevy of new Gladiators, all in hopes that this could be the show to secure NBC a first-place ratings slot. For those of you who didn’t watch it, I did.

Click to continue reading Gladiators Fail to Slay Competition

Read More | Hollywood Reporter

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The 2007 MTV Video Music Awards

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Award Shows, Music, Prime Time, Cable, MTV, Cable/Satellite

MTV Moon MenBefore this evening’s festivities begin, the producers of the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards should really thank the scandal-plagued artists who’ve unintentionally thrown publicity their way.  Tonight, we’ll be thinking about those performers who’ve canceled because they need to be in rehab (Amy Winehouse) and closely watching those who should probably go back ().

We’d been warning you for weeks that this would be a one-time only telecast, but in case you forgot—we hope this helps.  And for those who live on the West Coast (like me), you can play along and read our coverage as if it were in real-time:

Click to continue reading The 2007 MTV Video Music Awards


‘Lost’ Adds Five New Characters

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Drama, Prime Time, ABC, Lost

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The last time the producers of tried to introduce two new characters (remember Nikki and Paolo?), audiences hated them so much they were promptly killed off.  So with hesitance I say that five new players are being brought on this upcoming season.  Of course, we don’t necessarily know their roles or how long they will stay.  Maybe they will pull a Bai Ling and exit quickly.

Entertainment Weekly exclusively reports that these actors include Jeff Fahey (Lawnmower Man, ), Jeremy Davies (a.k.a the skinny guy in Saving Private Ryan), Lance Reddick (), Ken Leung (X-Men: The Last Stand) and Rebecca Mader (Justice).  The show’s still got two more years to go—so I guess someone’s gonna to have to die.  Any bets as to which one in this bunch will be the first?  I’m gonna go for the skinny guy (Davies).

Reminder, Lost does not start until mid-season….so don’t be waiting for it in September.

Read More | Entertainment Weekly

Justice Gets Yanked From Fox Lineup

Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Drama, Prime Time, FOX, Cancellations, Ratings

JusticeIt’s been speculated for quite some time that Fox’s drama Justice would be cancelled. With ratings never quite making the grade and a shift in date/time, the series just never quite took off. In case you’re not familiar with the show, Justice starred Victor Garber and was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. So, it seemed like greatness in the making. But then, so did Smith and you know what happened there. It seemed Fox at least tried to give Justice a fighting chance by moving it from Wednesdays at 9:00 p.m. to Mondays at 9:00 p.m. (following Prison Break). Only 5.9 million viewers tuned in last week, with only about half of the Prison Break lead-in audience hanging on to watch Justice.

Read More | CNN

First Casualities of the Fall Season?

Posted by Wendy Michaels Categories: Comedy, Drama, Prime Time, Reality, CBS, FOX, NBC, Cancellations, Ratings

Fox logoWhile not officially canceled, two shows have received the kiss of death—being put on hiatus. It seems pretty early in the season to pull the plug already, but Fox’s Happy Hour and Justice have already been put on “hiatus” status. Fox is saying that the comedy Happy Hour will return in November, citing the upcoming baseball playoffs and World Series as their reason for shelving the show, if only briefly. Until baseball takes over, Fox will be running a rerun of ‘Til Death during Happy Hour‘s Thursday time slot.

Justice will also take a break, with a repeat of House airing in its place on October 4th. The network will, however, be airing a repeat of Justice‘s pilot on Friday, September 29th at 8:00 p.m. This time will cut the finale of Celebrity Duets short by one hour.

Neither of these new shows really stood a chance against the competition (even though neither is officially canceled yet)—up against Survivor: Cook Island and The Office.

Read More | The Futon Critic

The Week Ahead in TV

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Prime Time, Reality, FOX, Alias, Talent

Celebrity Duets Now that we’ve gotten past the premieres of Prison Break and Vanished, we can ease into another week of programming highlights:

TUESDAY
Celebrity Duets (8pm on Fox):  The latest Simon Cowell production debuts with Hal Sparks (Queer as Folk), Lucy Lawless (Xena) and Chris Jericho (WWE) among the eight celebrity contestants belting it out for the title.

WEDNESDAY
Bones (8pm on FOX):  Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz return for the show’s sophomore season.
Justice (9pm on FOX):  Victor Garber (Alias) helms yet another legal offering.  I cross my fingers for him.

THURSDAY
MTV Video Music Awards (8pm on MTV):  The awards show finally returns to New York after several years away in Miami.  Hurricane Ernesto is disappointed that it doesn’t have a glam-filled occasion to ruin.


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